Shipping-crate.



N. M. SPEEDY.

SHIPPING CRATE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 10, 1913.

1,084,045,, Patented Jan. 13, 1914.

M/asMSpeed COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH C0-,\VASHINGTON, n cy NT OFFICE.

NICHOLAS M. SPEEDY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

SHIPPING-CRATE.

Application filed February 10, 1913.

able others skilled in the art to which it ap-.

pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a shipping crate of my improved construction. Fig. 9. is vertical section taken approximately on the line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a cross section taken approximately on the line 33 of Fig. 1. Fig. d is a plan view of the shipping crate, the same being equipped with a modified form of lid or closure.

lily invention relates to new and useful improvements in shipping crates, the principal object of my invention being to construct a comparatively simple, inexpensive, light-weight crate or receptacle which has special advantages when used for the ship ment of bananas, small fruit, vegetables, eggs and like merchandise.

A further object of my invention is, to provide a strong, and durable shipping crate having a removable lid or closure which can be easily and quickly placed in position to close the crate. or to be removed therefrom, and to provide means for sealing the lid or closure to the body of the crate when the same packed for shipment.

A further object of my invention is to provide a strong and substantial shipping crate having minimum weight in order to materially reduce shipping charges, and in order to thus provide a lightweight crate, ll construct the same from a number of small pieces of wood and a number of sections of thin, light-weight material such as cardboard.

To the above purposes my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the construction of the crate as shown I make use of four corner rails 10, preferably of wood, and attached to the undersides of the lowermost pair of these rails is a section 11 of thin, light-weight material such as cardboard and which forms the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 13,1914.

Serial No. 747,363.

bottom of the crate. Arranged on the underside of this bottom section 11 is a series of transversely disposed slats 12, the ends of which are attached to the lowermost pair of rails 10 in any suitable manner. Fixed to the rails 10 are side walls or panels 18 of thin material such as cardboard, and positioned thereupon and attached to said rails 10 are vertically disposed side slats 14L. Fixed to the ends of the rails 10 are end wall sections 15 of cardboard or analogous material, and applied to the outer faces thereof and at the top and bottom are transversely disposed slats 16 and 17, the ends of which are attached to the ends of the rails 10 or to the outermost slats 1 1. Formed in the upper edge of one of the slats 16 is a pair of rectangular notches 18. Located on top of the crate thus formed and at the corners thereof are triangular sections 19 of wood or analogous material, the outer edges of which are secured to the parts of the crate which they overlie. A pair of these triangular corner pieces overlie the notches 18 in the end slat 16.

The removable lid or closure for the top of the crate comprises a pair of slats 2O spaced apart so as to lie between the uppermost pair of rails 10, and fixed to these slats 20 are two or more transversely disposed slats 21, the ends of which are adapted to overlie the top pair of corner rails 10. Fixed to the slats 20 at one end is a transversely disposed slat 22 in which is formed an aperture 9.3 that is adapted to receive a sealing wire, and which wire also passes through an aperture 2% formed in the end slat 16 opposite the end slat provided with the notches 18.

When the removable lid or closure is properly applied to the crate the ends of the slats 2O occupy the notches 18 in the end slats 16, and the transverse slat 22 at the opposite end of the crate is positioned beneath the triangular corner pieces 19 and lies immediately adjacent the end slat provided with the aperture 24.

When my improved crate is packed, and before the removable lid or closure is applied thereto, a. section 25 of thin material such as cardboard is positioned in the top of the crate immediately on top of the contents thereof, and the removable lid or closure is now positioned in the top of the crate by inserting the ends of the slats 20 through the notches 18 and moving the lid or closure lengthwise of the crate until the transverse slat 22 is in position to be inserted beneath the corner pieces 19 at the corresponding end of said crate. The lid or closure is now moved lengthwise to position the slat 22 immediately adjacent the end slat containing the aperture 2st, and a sealing wire is now inserted through the apertures 23 and 24, thereby sealing the lid or closure to the crate.

The walls of cardboard or other thin material provide ample protection for the contents of the crate, and the slats 12, 14:, 16 and 17 applied to the exterior of the walls reinforce the same, and, to a considerable extent, protect said walls against breakage while the crate is in service.

A crate constructed as herein shown and described is particularly designed for the I shipment of bunches of bananas, but it will be readily understood that said crate can be advantageously used for shipping all small fruits and vegetables, and by providing a partition at the center of the crate and arranging the proper fillers in the compartments therein, the crate may be used for the shipment of In Fig. 1 the lid or closure is formed of a series of longitudinally and transversely extending slats, and said lid or closure is hinged to one side of the crate and is attached to the opposite side by means of a hasp or like fastening device.

A crate of my improved construction is light, strong and durable, can be cheaply produced and can be readily used in the shipment of all small commodities such as fruit and vegetables.

It will be readily understood that minor changes in the size, form and construction of the various parts of my improved shipping crate can be made and substituted for those herein shown and described without departing from the spirit of my invention, the scope of whi'ch is set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A shipping crate in the form of an open topped receptacle comprising longitudinally extending corner rails, a bottom, side and end walls applied to said corner rails, transversely disposed slats applied to the outer faces of said bottom, side and end walls, corner pieces applied to the top of the crate, and a removable lid for normally closing the open top of the crate, the ends of which lid are adapted to be positioned beneath said corner pieces.

2. A shipping crate comprising an open topped receptacle, corner pieces on top of the side and end walls of said receptacle, one of the end walls of which receptacle is provided with notches beneath the overlying corner pieces, and a removable closure for the top of the receptacle, parts of which closure are seated in and are adapted to slide through said notches.

3. A shipping crate of the class described, comprising an open topped receptacle, cc-r ner pieces applied to said receptacle on top of the side and end walls thereof, and a removable lid or closure for said receptacle, which lid or closure comprises a pair of ion gitudinally disposed slats, the ends of which are adapted to be positioned beneath the corner pieces on the receptacle, and a series of transversely disposed slats attached to said longitudinally disposed slats.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses, this 4th day of February, 1913.

NICHOLAS M. SPEEDY.

lVitnesses M. P. SMITH, M. A. HANDEL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

